In our family, we LOVE lists. Each season, we brainstorm ideas for things we’d love to do. Fall is the BEST for many reasons — the cooler temps, the gorgeous colors, and one of our family’s favorite holidays: Halloween!

This year, we have an ambitious list of fun we hope to have. We likely won’t get to it all, but we love having a list to work with when planning our weekend adventures.

I’d love to hear what your family loves to do in the comments. Happy fall, ya’ll!

Doors open at 9 a.m. and all showings begin at 9:30 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the theater on the morning of the show on a first come, first served basis. Shows are available in a sensory-friendly format as well {lights up, volume down}.

Bonus! Get a free popcorn when you sign up to receive a weekly email from NCG. That link is HERE.

This post is sponsored by Meijer. All opinions expressed belong to me.

I love the start of a new season. It’s the perfect excuse to change up the wardrobe, swap out make-up, and decorate the house in a new way.

Like most Michiganders, fall is my favorite season. I love wearing hats and scarves, and visiting our local pumpkin patches and cider mills. I also enjoy the fresh perspective it offers for my beauty routine when lips start to chap and skin starts to dry out.

Meijer was gracious enough to send me a slew of new beauty items, including items from Olay, Elizabeth Arden, John Frieda, Biore, Aveeno, and more — all available in the beauty aisles.

Here are three goals I have for fall when it comes to self-care:

Fresh make-up

I love focusing on fall colors during this time of year. I switch between golds, browns and greens with my reddish-brown hair. More lipstick for sure too, to balance out my white skin once my tan fades. I also love the month of October to step up my eyeliner game and darken my nail polish.

The Neutrogena Hydro Boost lip balm is my new go-to to keep my lips soft throughout the day. It works great, and I’m going to be sure to always have it in my make-up bag moving forward.

I’m also loving the Juicy Couture Hollywood Royal perfume. It’s just the scent I’ve been looking for — light and refreshing, and perfect for a night out!

Silky hair

I’m currently growing my hair out again to donate to Wigs4Kids, so I’m skipping dyes and just trying to maintain healthy hair. My hair is extremely thick, so I’ve been loving clips in my hair lately to keep it out of my face. They have some adorable art deco-inspired ones at Meijer right now from Goody.

I’m also digging the Gliss line from Schwarzkopf. It makes my hair so silky and smooth, and is perfect for the days I know I will be straightening it.

Self-Care for My Man

In addition to my beauty routine, my husband has been digging the new men’s items available at Meijer, too. With everything from aftershave to beard oil, the is plenty to think about for stocking stuffers or a little self-care Saturday.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get my guy to model for me…But, he is super excited to use some beard oil to make his goatee shine 😉 I love a man with well-kept facial hair, don’t you? {Full disclosure, I’ve been with my husband for 13 years and have never seen him without it!}

Stock Up at Meijer

Overall, I’m excited for fall and getting the focus back on myself. Thanks to Meijer beauty for the great products. Many items shown are on sale this week buy one, get one half off, and throughout the month at Meijer, so be on the lookout for sales in the store and new mPerks coupons. If you aren’t using mPerks, get on it. I’ve saved almost $1,500 on groceries this year!

With temperatures finally season-appropriate, I am ready to dive into all things fall!

Two places my family and I love to go to each year are Markillie Orchard and Fawcett Farms, both located in Howell, Michigan, about 1.5 miles apart. These two hidden gems offer all the fall fun you need in a no-frills, inexpensive manner. Nothing like going right to the families that make the cider, donuts, and pumpkins, right? It’s definitely my favorite part of living in a more ‘country’ part of southeast Michigan!

FAWCETT FARMS

From M-59, travel a few miles north on Latson Rd. in Howell and go until it just about turns to dirt at Faussett Road. The drive is full of farm land and is gorgeous, especially in the evening. On the left, you’ll see a pumpkin patch. It’s hard to miss the gorgeous sea of orange!

This farm offers pumpkins — of any size — for just $3. And the pumpkins are beautiful! Less expensive than the grocery store, and such a better experience to just go right to the source. The farm also has corn stalks {$4/stalk}, mums, gourds and pie pumpkins {50 cents each}, white pumpkins and a variety of other heirloom pumpkins. Some are incredible! The funkier, the better in my book 😉

There are a few hay bales for the kids to climb on, and plenty of John Deere tractors on the premises to make any tot swoon.

My kids absolutely love picking out tons of small pumpkins to put in our landscaping. And at 50 cents a pop, I’m not complaining.

MARKILLIE ORCHARD

After you’re done picking up your fall decor, head south on Latson a mile for Markillie Orchard {you will pass it going to the pumpkin patch, so your call which is better to do first}.

This small family-run orchard has incredible cider and donuts, plus apples and more. It’s so charming! After how commercialized some orchards have gotten, I appreciate just popping in for some goodies and letting the kids just run around happily.

I haven’t been able to stray from the pumpkin/cinnamon sugar donuts, but I’m told the other varieties are delicious and the apple chips dessert is phenomenal.

There is a small play set for kids to play on, and they can check out the apple trees behind the building, too.

Ever since I was a little girl, there was one craft I couldn’t wait to do each fall: Leaf presses!

Now, as a parent, I love them even more because it combines my love of getting outside with my creative side. Bonus? No running to the store for extra supplies and easy peasy for little ones to help with.

The past few years, I’ve incorporated broken crayons into our creations to add a little extra color. They turn out so pretty and make a fun, festive fall decoration. Here’s how they are made:

Fall Craft: 5 Step Leaf and Crayon Press

Step 1: Go for a walk and find leaves.

Step 2: Grab a sheet of wax paper and arrange your leaves on the paper.

Step 3: Unwrap the paper from any broken crayons you may want to use and use a cheese grater to get shavings {or chop them up with a sharp knife}

Step 4: Add an additional sheet of wax paper to your creation on the top.

Step 5: With the iron set on low, iron the wax paper together. {Test with a towel underneath it first to make sure your iron can handle it!}

Hang and enjoy your creation!

Depends how fancy you want to get, but there are plenty of cool things you could do with these — cut them out fun, create a frame, etc.

September is such a lovely month, right? Cool mornings followed by warm days, the leaves starting to change, apple picking, and perhaps every parent’s favorite reason: Back to school and back to routine!

While adventures may be changing in the months ahead with calendars filling with school events, there is still plenty of fun out there for the weekends. Here are some ideas for things to check out this month:

Family Fun in Southeast Michigan in September 2017

Weekends, through October 1 — Michigan Renaissance Festival — Visit Holly Grove for music, sword-swallowing, comedy, fire-juggling and of course, the costumes of a bygone era. Dress in costume for added fun and be sure to check out how the Festival celebrates with themed weekends. Free parking. Adult general admission: $22.95; child general admission: $13.95.

Through September 4 — Saline Community Fair {Saline} — Join Saline for their annual community fair full of rides, activities, parades and family fun! All other days, admission is $7 for ages 11 and up.

Through September 4 — Fifth Third Bank Michigan State Fair {Novi} — This year’s State Fair includes a Midway, live entertainment, racing pigs, livestock and home arts exhibits, the state of Michigan Butter Cow, special performances by the Detroit Shrine Circus, Made in Michigan Pavilion, tasty carnival treats, and more. There is customized pricing, depending on what you want to do. Adults are $8 and children are $6. Children 2 and under are free.

Through September 4 — Arts, Beats and Eats {Royal Oak} — Oakland County’s premier entertainment festival featuring art, restaurants and 200 performances on 10 stages downtown Royal Oak. On Friday the festival is free to enter until 5 p.m., after 5 p.m. the price is $7. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, admission is $3 before 3 p.m., $5 after 3 p.m., and $7 after 5 p.m. This is admission fee supports the festival as well as 13 non-profit partners.

September 1 – October 29 — NCG Cinemas Free Family Film Festival {Various Mid-Michigan Locations} — Visit the NCG locations in September and October on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for a FREE family movie. Visit link for details {also available in a sensory-friendly format}.

September 2 — Kids Workshop at The Home Depot {Nationwide} — Build a pencil box at this month’s event. This hands-on workshop is for children ages 5 – 12. All kids get to keep their craft, receive a certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last. Register online in advance. FREE.

September 2 — Michaels Kid Club {Nationwide} — Drop into a Michael’s Craft Store and take home a completed project! This week it’s a Floogal windsock. 10 a.m. – noon. Ages 3 and up.

September 2-4 — Thunder Over Michigan Air Show {Ypsilanti} — Thunder over Michigan is one of Americas leading air shows and is considered the best warbird show in America. Held at Willow Run Airport, the show features world-class entertainment, including the Blue Angels, and fun for the whole family. Parking is $10 in advance or $20 on site. Admission tickets are $35; kids age 15 and under and free.

September 5-6—FREE LEGO® Mini Model Build {Nationwide} — Visit your local LEGO Store to learn how to build a cool mini model, and take it home – for free! September’s project is a LEGO dinosaur. Quantities are limited. Event is open to children ages 6-14 only. FREE.

September 6 — Let’s Get Crafty at American Girl {Novi} — Join American Girl on the first Wednesday of each month for a fun and free craft. On this day, make a Masterbrand craft {team girl cuffs} from 6-8 p.m. FREE.

September 6-10 — Frontier Days {Charlotte} — Pioneer-spirited guests will enjoy this annual event featuring one of Mid-Michigan’s largest parades, a championship rodeo, flea market, more than 250 arts and crafts exhibits, an old-fashioned saloon, and more. FREE.

September 7-10 — Richmond Good Old Days Festival {Richmond} — The Annual Richmond Area Good Old Days Festival is one of Michigan’s best small town festivals and boasts the largest marching musical parade in Michigan, as well as a carnival, antique fire muster, a children’s candy scramble and much more. FREE.

September 8 – November 2 — Celebration Cinema’s Flick’s Family Festival {Various Locations} — Visit one of the Celebration Cinemas locations for FREE kid’s movies {12 and under}, or just $5 for adults. See website for schedule.

September 8-10 — Arts and Apples Festival {Rochester} — Art & Apples Festival transforms Rochester Park into one of the nation’s top fine art fairs with over 290 artists from across the country. Other attractions include live entertainment, food vendors, and a Kids Art Zone. FREE.

September 10 — Kerrytown Bookfest {Ann Arbor} — The 15th Annual Kerrytown BookFest is chock full of authors, activities, and hundreds of the best books. Activities include breakfast with Michigan authors, comic Books, an edible book contest, books for sale, storytellers, and more. FREE.

September 11 — MSU Bug House Open House {East Lansing} — If your child loves all things creepy crawly, the MSU Bug House is a fun place to visit. Check out the details for this event here. FREE.

September 13 — Storytime in the Play Area {Novi} — Visit Twelve Oaks for storytime with a librarian from the Novi Public Library in the Play Area, from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Each child will receive a special gift. FREE.

September 14-17 — Down Home Days {Mason} — Check out fall colors and visit Mason for an outdoor concert Thursday, family walk Friday, Saturday’s craft show on the historic Ingham County Courthouse Square and more. FREE.

September 15 — Bubbles from Splash and Bubbles at The Oakland Mall {Troy}— Visit Bubbles during a meet and greet as part of The Oakland Mall’s Giggle Gang. Limited tickets available in advance on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last, at the Information Center. Arrive early! FREE for Giggle Gang members; $3 for others.

September 15-17 — Romulus Pumpkin Festival {Romulus} — This event begins with a night parade where everything is lighted from bicycles to cement trucks. Join in on the fun, including music, food, crafts and games like a pumpkin rolling, pumpkin pie eating or a pumpkin seed-spitting contest. There’s a Classic Car Show, Tractor Show, live entertainment and more. FREE.

September 15-16 — Michigan BluesFest {Lansing} — This two-day music festival brings national, regional, and local acts to the streets of Old Town Lansing. The Kidzbeats area offers plenty of activities for kids. FREE.

September 16 — Michaels Kid Club {Nationwide} — Drop into a Michael’s Craft Store and take home a completed project! This week it’s a fall leaf sign. 10 a.m. – noon. Ages 3 and up.

September 17 — World Rhino Day at Potter Park Zoo {Lansing} — Visit Potter Park for special tours and a behind-the-scenes look at their black rhino exhibit. Tickets are available for 1 p.m., 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. and will be $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under, in addition to regular zoo entry and parking. Tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

September 23 — Fall Harvest Festival {Flint} — Visit Applewood Estate for family fun including live music, cider and apple tasting in the heirloom orchard, horses and calves in the historic barn, mini pumpkin decorating, educational presentations by local organizations, children’s outdoor games and more! FREE.

September 23 — Great Lakes Bat Festival {Detroit} — Visit the Michigan Science Center for a day of all things BAT. There will be hands-on activities, bat house building, live animal educational programs, interactive displays and more. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. FREE.

September 23 — Webster Fall Festival {Dexter} — Old-fashioned country fun for all ages, including hay rides, a petting zoo, historic buildings and displays, vintage cars and farm machinery, artisans and crafters, police K9 demos, live music and more. FREE.

FALL! It’s the best, right? I like to call it the season of two outfits: Warm clothing for cool mornings and nights and shorts and a t-shirt for afternoon. As much as the temps fluctuate, it’s still the favorite season for most Michiganders {myself included}.

Not everyone is able to take a stunning drive up north to admire the fall foliage, so I thought it would be fun to put together a BIG list of fall fun in the SE Michigan region. Plan an adventure today with this big list of places to go with kids in southeast Michigan this fall!

The post below is sponsored by Meijer. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love the start of any season because not only does it mean a change in weather, but also a change in clothing, beauty products, and the opportunity to purge and get organized.

I’ve been on an organization kick lately, and it has made me feel much more relaxed about our busy lives this fall. I’ve cleared my schedule to take more time to exercise and am ready to start fresh again with myself after a lax {and wonderful!} summer.

I’m also making sure I take time for myself by giving myself a little beauty boost. Here are a few other things I’m doing this fall:

Purging and Donating

It’s time to rid of the old and make way for the new! I follow a quarterly timeline of cleaning out my drawers, especially in the bathroom where beauty products can go bad over time. I toss expired nail polishes, clean brushes, replace my razor and shower pouf and set aside any product that hasn’t been opened and can be donated.

Experimenting With New Colors

The start of a season also means a new color palette to choose from. This season’s color seems to be purple, which is SO fun, so I’ve been experimenting with it on my eyes. I’ve also been testing new lip colors because as my tan fades, my poor pale face is going to need all the color it can get. I also am always keeping an eye on nail polish color trends, which seem to be mauve, gray and forest green. Perfect for fall!

Cleaning Out The Closet

Summer items will soon be swapped out for sweaters and pants, so it’s a great time to set aside anything from summer you don’t anticipate wearing again and donate the items. Each fall, when the kids head back to school, I head into the store for a little shopping myself. I like to grab a few new sweaters for the cooler weather and at least one funky, trendy item. I’m excited about this funky coat I picked up at a thrift shop!

Refresh and Reboot Your Skin

Each week, I try to find one day when I take a relaxing shower, actually do my hair and focus on my make-up. When I have a little extra time, I enjoy putting on a clay face mask {I’m loving Loreal clay masks}, whitening my teeth and doing my nails, too. It’s the little things that make you feel so much better. I recently discovered the Aveeno line of face products and I love them. My face has never felt so soft and I’m glad to have a great product to keep my skin hydrated and ready for cooler temps.

Another item I am enjoying is the Yes to Coconut body lotion…It smells like the tropics and leaves my skin soft and not waxy or greasy. I love the spray bottle for a quick few sprays after a shower.

Overall, I’m excited for fall and getting the focus back on myself! Thanks to Meijer beauty for the great products. All items shown are on sale this week at Meijer, so be on the lookout for sales in the store and new mPerks coupons. {If you aren’t using mPerks, do it! I’ve saved almost $2,000 on groceries this year thanks to the app on my phone!}

GIVEAWAY

I’m excited to give away a set of one of my favorite moisturizers – Neutrogena Hydro Boost. One is for the day {complete with SPF 15} and one is for night. My skin loves this stuff and I love that it’s not thick or greasy feeling. I’m also adding in a $15 gift card so you can choose any other great beauty products you’ve been eyeing!

Enter using the form below. Open to U.S. residents ages 18+. Giveaway ends on September 25, 2016 at midnight.

After a few sporadic days of chilly fall-like weather here in Michigan, I can officially say BRING.IT.ON.

I guess you could call me basic with my love of all things pumpkin. Truth is, I’m not sure if it’s the flavor or just having a reason to celebrate the change of seasons, which we are incredibly blessed with here in Michigan.

To gear up for the cooler weather on the horizon, I’ve been in the kitchen experimenting with flavors my whole family will love. After searching for pumpkin muffins, I grew frustrated when not a single one used the entire can of pumpkin. I hate waste, and I don’t always have use for the little bit left in the can with certain recipes.

To satisfy my desire, I got to work and put together this little flavorful recipe and my family has enjoyed the results. Best consumed with a little pad of real butter…Ohhh, now who’s calling who basic? Butter makes everything better.

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Toddler approved, too. In fact, he loved them so much he even ate the scraps off the floor! I guess he’s basic too 😉

The post below is sponsored by Lush Lawn. Opinions expressed are my own.

There’s one thing these cooler temps mean: Time to wind down for the winter by pulling out the dead stuff and raking leaves off the lawn! Since taking care of the health of our lawn is not my favorite task, I am happy to have Lush Lawn help us out by prepping our lawn for cooler temps and nicer grass heading into 2015.

And let’s not even talk about the creepy crawly things starting to find their way indoors…ICK. Definitely not my favorite part of fall either. Thankfully, Lush Lawn can spray for those, too!

I received these tips from Lush Lawn to serve as a great reminder of what we all should be proactively be doing in the fall:

1. FERTILIZE. Fertilizing in fall is great for the grass because the lower temperatures and increased rain cause the grass to thrive, and with that, the grass uses up a lot of nutrients, so replenishing those nutrients through fertilization is very important.

2. SEEDINGS. Doing seedings this time of year are great because of the weather conditions, too. Sometimes young grass is killed by intense summer heat when planted in the spring because it hasn’t had enough time to develop. If you seed in fall, you have fall and spring for the grass to grow and develop before summertime, so it tends to be stronger and more resilient.

3. SPRAY FOR BUGS. Right now is one of the most important times to spray for insects around your home and for bug proofing your home. As the temperatures dip, a lot of bugs will seek refuge in your home because it is much warmer than outside. This time of year in Michigan brings spiders indoors. Getting a good perimeter pest spray around the home will stop this problem.

4. CUT GRASS APPROPRIATELY. The last time you cut your grass in preparation for winter, it should be cut at 2 inches and not higher. Most the year, 3 to 4 inches length is great, but going into the dormant season, you want the grass to be cut shorter in order to reduce winter snow mold and other diseases that develop easier in long matted down grasses over the winter.

Lush Lawn is a family owned company based in Michigan that specializes in lawn care, pest control and tree services. They have offices in Brighton, Grand Blanc and Rochester Hills and offer services in those surrounding areas. Visit this link for a FREE quote and tell them I sent you!

I am a part of a local mom’s group on Facebook and this gal had mentioned her Facebook page, 2 Bears and Counting, and how she shared fun projects and such. Of course, I had to check it out!

I asked her if she’s like to guest post here with a project idea and she said she would. I totally think she should create a blog because she has some great ideas and the knowledge to back it up as a kindergarten teacher. After all, aren’t all of us ALWAYS looking for things to do with our kids? {I know I am!} Anyway, I think you should all go give her some Facebook love and check out her cute fall sensory activity for toddlers below.

Here’s an intro in her words:

Hello! My name is Carly Leen and I am a mommy of fraternal twin boys. They just turned 2 in August (which I can’t believe!) time goes so fast! I started 2 Bears and Counting because working with children is my heart and passion. I have my early childhood degree from Michigan State University and my Master’s in the Art of Teaching. I feel honored to share my experiences and knowledge that I’ve learned over the years with so many children and peers. I was so excited to hear I could be a guest blogger on Mrs. Weber’s Neighborhood. What a great site!

I have been blessed to have the last 2 years off to stay at home with my “bears” but next fall I will be going back to my “other” favorite job…teaching Kindergarten! Feel free to share my site and enjoy learning and playing with your own “Bears” 😀

Going on a Fall Bear Hunt: A FUN Science and Sensory Activity

We have a beautiful nature path in our subdivision, so on Saturday night we went on a “bear hunt” to find fall objects. We found feathers, sticks, grass, leaves of all colors and flowers! The boys LOVED this activity.

The next morning, we stuck our finds onto contact paper from the dollar store and talked about our 5 senses. We taped the paper to our window and left the sticky side facing up so the objects could stick to it easily. Then, we talked about the colors we saw of things. A great science and sensory activity to do with your bears! Have fun!

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Thanks for the fun and inexpensive idea, Carly!

I am so excited to hit up my local Dollar Tree to pick up some clear contact paper — I love finding inspiration at the dollar store! This activity is totally up Kinley’s alley…The girl would live outside if she could, so we’ll have to try it out 😉